4 ms·

I'm an American and I understand why my internet is slow. So do all of my friends and coworkers. What do you propose we actually do about it?

skh 8y ago
Vote and encourage others to vote. Also, it’s worth pointing out comparisons to Europe and Japan to help dispel the myth that we are a shining light to the rest of the world and that we are number 1.
scarejunba 8y ago
Support things like this https://savecompetition.com https://savecompetition.com and similar initiatives that are constantly being brought up. Enable providers like Sonic to survive by telling your representatives.
Teknoman117 8y ago
As an American I really wish I had enough money to start my own ISP which had ground rules that all it'd ever be is an internet provider with the sole goal of continuously improving internet service.
- thx11389793 8y ago
  my cursory research seems to indicate that it's pretty reasonable to start a local wireless ISP, with a lower bound wrt minimum number of clients to make the venture worth it being 50 or so according to someone.
- js2 8y ago
  It requires some money and resources obviously, but neither do you need to be Google or a Telco to setup an ISP: About a year ago, FOA was contacted by Greg Turton of Cordele, GA. who was curious about what was involved in creating a FTTH network. Greg is a real estate developer who also owns several local hotels. Where he lives and builds homes is way outside of a service area that anybody wants to build good broadband, forget FTTH. Cordele itself has a population of only about 15,000 and is one of those small cities along the Interstate highway that are everywhere in the US. We answered Greg's questions and led him to some of the FOA Guide web pages and YouTube videos about FTTH to get him started. More conversations discussed how to get connections as an ISP, types of components and suppliers, etc. Fortunately the local electrical utility has lots of fiber but they were restricted from building their own FTTH network because Georgia was one of 19 states where lobbyists for the incumbent providers got laws passed restricting their ability to operate a FTTH system themselves. But they were more than willing to lease dark fiber to Greg at really good rates. And there were good choices on getting an Internet connection. ... http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/appln/FTTH-DIY.html http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/appln/FTTH-DIY.html
- kuwze 8y ago
  You might want to checkout the YC startup Necto[0]. [0]: https://apply.nectolab.io/ https://apply.nectolab.io/
jessaustin 8y ago
Shut down FCC. That's all it would take. Sure, your FM radio would stop working, but that's a small sacrifice to make, to get actual competition in something as important as telecommunications.
- eigenloss 8y ago
  This is the worst solution posed here. If we had no FCC, large companies would be thrown into an arms race to pump as much RF as possible into the air while smaller ones (radio stations, anybody?) would simply be drowned out and crushed.
  - jessaustin 8y ago
    Just like in the wifi band... oh, wait. I'm not saying that radio use can't be regulated. I'm saying that FCC is the worst possible organization that could be imagined to do that regulation. To understand that, simply compare Europe to USA.
- GW150914 8y ago
  Shut down FCC. That's all it would take. Sure, your FM radio would stop working, but that's a small sacrifice to make, to get actual competition in something as important as telecommunications. Good idea, I was just thinking that I hate how emergency services can talk to each other, and my cellphone works. People are so damned soft, they should have to release a homing pigeon if they want to call 911! Sure, a few people might die and life will be a dark and terrible nightmare of RF interference, radio astronomy will end, and modern civilization will grind to a halt, but that’s a small price to pay for my libertarian wet dream.
  - jessaustin 8y ago
    FCC is uniquely bad among USA government regulatory agencies. I'm fine with EPA, FTC, OSHA, FAA, etc. All of those place reasonable limits on human action. They don't say, "this market will be 40% VZN and 45% ATT!" Any number of other agencies could keep the emergency services bands online. Most of the actual regulation of how devices radiate signals is already controlled by voluntary associations of manufacturers. Please don't discuss your wet dreams in this forum.

skh 8y ago

Vote and encourage others to vote. Also, it’s worth pointing out comparisons to Europe and Japan to help dispel the myth that we are a shining light to the rest of the world and that we are number 1.

scarejunba 8y ago

Support things like this https://savecompetition.com https://savecompetition.com and similar initiatives that are constantly being brought up. Enable providers like Sonic to survive by telling your representatives.

Teknoman117 8y ago

As an American I really wish I had enough money to start my own ISP which had ground rules that all it'd ever be is an internet provider with the sole goal of continuously improving internet service.

thx11389793 8y ago
my cursory research seems to indicate that it's pretty reasonable to start a local wireless ISP, with a lower bound wrt minimum number of clients to make the venture worth it being 50 or so according to someone.
js2 8y ago
It requires some money and resources obviously, but neither do you need to be Google or a Telco to setup an ISP: About a year ago, FOA was contacted by Greg Turton of Cordele, GA. who was curious about what was involved in creating a FTTH network. Greg is a real estate developer who also owns several local hotels. Where he lives and builds homes is way outside of a service area that anybody wants to build good broadband, forget FTTH. Cordele itself has a population of only about 15,000 and is one of those small cities along the Interstate highway that are everywhere in the US. We answered Greg's questions and led him to some of the FOA Guide web pages and YouTube videos about FTTH to get him started. More conversations discussed how to get connections as an ISP, types of components and suppliers, etc. Fortunately the local electrical utility has lots of fiber but they were restricted from building their own FTTH network because Georgia was one of 19 states where lobbyists for the incumbent providers got laws passed restricting their ability to operate a FTTH system themselves. But they were more than willing to lease dark fiber to Greg at really good rates. And there were good choices on getting an Internet connection. ... http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/appln/FTTH-DIY.html http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/appln/FTTH-DIY.html
kuwze 8y ago
You might want to checkout the YC startup Necto[0]. [0]: https://apply.nectolab.io/ https://apply.nectolab.io/

jessaustin 8y ago

Shut down FCC. That's all it would take. Sure, your FM radio would stop working, but that's a small sacrifice to make, to get actual competition in something as important as telecommunications.

eigenloss 8y ago
This is the worst solution posed here. If we had no FCC, large companies would be thrown into an arms race to pump as much RF as possible into the air while smaller ones (radio stations, anybody?) would simply be drowned out and crushed.
- jessaustin 8y ago
  Just like in the wifi band... oh, wait. I'm not saying that radio use can't be regulated. I'm saying that FCC is the worst possible organization that could be imagined to do that regulation. To understand that, simply compare Europe to USA.
GW150914 8y ago
Shut down FCC. That's all it would take. Sure, your FM radio would stop working, but that's a small sacrifice to make, to get actual competition in something as important as telecommunications. Good idea, I was just thinking that I hate how emergency services can talk to each other, and my cellphone works. People are so damned soft, they should have to release a homing pigeon if they want to call 911! Sure, a few people might die and life will be a dark and terrible nightmare of RF interference, radio astronomy will end, and modern civilization will grind to a halt, but that’s a small price to pay for my libertarian wet dream.
- jessaustin 8y ago
  FCC is uniquely bad among USA government regulatory agencies. I'm fine with EPA, FTC, OSHA, FAA, etc. All of those place reasonable limits on human action. They don't say, "this market will be 40% VZN and 45% ATT!" Any number of other agencies could keep the emergency services bands online. Most of the actual regulation of how devices radiate signals is already controlled by voluntary associations of manufacturers. Please don't discuss your wet dreams in this forum.